This invention relates to a robot mounter and a method of mounting core sliders, especially a robot mounter which can process the steps of applying adhesive, mounting or hardening temporarily the adhesive in a short time and which is simple in construction, low-cost and small in size, and relates to a method of mounting core sliders using the robot mounter.
Although ordinary chip mounters are supplied to market by many suppliers, there is not any automatic-installing, small-size core slider for a hard-disk drive. FIG. 9 shows work 4 wherein sixteen suspensions 2 are formed continuously therein. Portion to be bonded 3 is formed in an upper portion of each suspension 2 so that core slider 6 of about 1 mm square is bonded. Although the prior automatic machine for installing core slider is required for manual working or for improvement of ordinary mounter, the machine is not yet complete as production equipment. In the automatic machine for installing core slider, know-how of temporarily hardening after applying adhesive or mounting more directly influences the quality of floating characteristics, and so on, compared with ordinary parts mounting apparatuses. It is considered that the machine does not exist even as equipment in the extended field of the prior art. In this respect, the prior art is merely a technique for mounting parts (molded package and pair chip) to board or tape (TAB) at high speed. In the automatic machine for installing a core slider, the process is divided into various steps, such as applying adhesive, mounting and temporarily hardening the adhesive. Batch processing for applying adhesive of predetermined quantity in one lot is used. However, there is not any stand-alone cell-type machine for performing the multiple steps.
Because the process is divided as described above and adhesive is applied by a dispenser in batch processing in the prior automatic machine for installing a core slider, it is possible that applying condition drifts according to the time difference between start and finish of applying the adhesive, with the result that the drift affects dispersion of applying quantity and change of viscosity. Mounting core sliders in the next process in that state causes greater deviation in mounting accuracy of core sliders. Due to the small-size core sliders, the influence becomes even greater. At this point, it is considered difficult to solve the above-described problems as far as the process is divided.
Further, a jig for manual working has a guide pin and a guide plane matching, respectively, to suspension 2 and core slider 6. Process capability is determined by jig accuracy. However, stable accuracy is not guaranteed, and maintenance is required frequently because of high-accuracy, complex-shape jigs. Mechanization of the process where the process is divided causes improved equipment efficiency but makes the machine complex, high-cost, and difficult to maintain.
The present invention solves the above-mentioned prior problems. The object of the present invention is to provide a robot mounter which can process the steps of applying adhesive, and mounting or temporarily hardening the adhesive in a short time, and which is simple in construction, low-cost, and small in size. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method of mounting core sliders using the robot mounter.